Way, Way Back (Revised Edition)

A Prologue of Odd Proportions

   Hi! I'm Alyssa Houlton, an average, easygoing eighteen-year-old college student- well, my life seemed average, until something happened one weekend.

   It was a crisp Saturday afternoon in September, and I was in my dorm, wondering what I should do today. I need to call my mom and check on her. I'm sure she misses me a lot. Smiling, I grab my phone and turn it on, admiring the red-and-blue striped lock screen. Quickly, I open my phone, going to my list of contacts. Finally, after mere seconds of scrolling through the many numbers on my phone, I tap on the contact I want to talk to the most: my loving, adoring mother.

   After a few short rings, I hear my mother's voice say "Hello, sweetheart! How are you today?"

   "I'm doing good, mom! College has been kinda hard, though. On top of that, I've had a bit of a headache since Thursday. How have you been lately?" I respond.

   My mom chuckles a bit and tells me "I've been doing fine! However, I do miss waking you up for school every morning." Oh, mom! How sweet of you! "You can get through all your classes, sweetheart. All of your angels are watching over your shoulder, especially your dad; he'd be so proud to see his little girl all grown up, studying in college."

   I grin; however, I notice that my headache has started to increase in pain. Oh shit, a migraine.

Gritting my teeth, I ask "Mother, what do you suggest to cure a migraine? That headache that's been plaguing me since Thursday has suddenly incr-"

   In a rush, my mother cuts me off, declaring "Alyssa, sweetie pie, take my advice. First of all, dim the lights- studies do say that bright lights negatively affect migraines. Oh, and you should stay away from strong smells; that means you should lay off the Apple Blossom body spray, young lady."

   While smiling through the increasing pain, I tell my mom "Thanks, mother. I'm going to go rest now," and hang up. Slowly, I stagger towards my bedroom. Suddenly, as I step into my room and move closer to my bed, the migraine picks up in intensity, and it feels as if the room has started to spin.

  "Oh, no!" is the last thing I remember exclaiming as I fall forward onto my bed, blacking out.

  Okay, I admit- maybe that obnoxious migraine that made me black out isn't average...